Monotone Aurora
by SupernovaBrainImplosion
Summary: Not too sure where this story is going honestly. Lucy has proved herself to be worthy of her nakama time after time, but as the battles worsen and conflicts arise within the guild, she may need to face her biggest challenge yet. Who is your enemy? Who is your friend? Can even you be sure? Includes fight scenes! Set after the seven year time skip. YOU CHOOSE THE PAIRING!
1. The Bed Invader

_**UPDATE: I'm baaaaaaack!**_

**By the way, I am British so "Mom" is "Mum" in this and things like "Color" or "Favorite" become "Colour" and "Favourite".**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I beg of you! (Oops I rhymed) I need constructive criticism, or if you prefer just tell me if it's any good. Arigato!**

**Also I used "NANI?!" here because I think it means "WHAT?!" as in an exclamation rather than an actual question. If this is wrong please tell me, thank you. And **_**finally**_**, I will try use honorifics. Try.**

**Disclaimer: (I am only doing this once for the entire story okay?) I do not own Fairy Tail, nor do I want to. I would rather be IN it.**

**(THIS IS A DIVIDER)**

**Chapter One: The Bed Invader**

Ribbons of morning sun drifted through the gap in the floor length dusty rose curtains, which hung in a certain apartment on Strawberry Street. The window was slightly ajar, permitting the refreshing summer breeze to blow gently into the room, making the curtains flutter.

Lucy Heartfilia slowly opened her heavy eyelids, only to have the overwhelming glare shine into her unprepared closed eyes; she quickly shut them again whilst making a small moan of protest and brought the duvet up to her face. Once the initial shock of Summer's rude awakening was over the young mage began to slowly peel the cover away from her face, but was still too groggy to fully awake and get up from her cosy, if slightly warmer than usual, bed. So she simply lay there on her side and stared at the gently swaying curtains and subsequently the patterns of light they made resembling a monotone aurora in the sky that was, in actuality, a cream coloured carpet on the floor of this spacious yet modest bedroom. _Oh, that's a good one. _Thought she, _I'll have to use that in my novel. A monotone aurora. _She lay there for another minute or two before realizing that her pillow was ever so slightly moving rhythmically. It was pleasant. Very calming.

_Wait… _The celestial mage opened her eyes wide, her drowsy state leaving quickly. _Pillows don't move. And what am I lying on?_

Lucy rolled over only to come face to face with one of her closest friends, and possibly the most annoying person she had ever –_scratch that, there is always Ichiya _–possibly **one **of the most annoying people she had ever met, ad he was so close that their lips almost brushed against each other. She stared at him for a moment, as if he were a foreign object.

"KYAAAA!" She leapt out of bed and screamed, overreacting again.

He opened one eye to look at her before sitting up, "Ohayo Lucy, would you mind not making such a racket so early?" The dragon slayer asked casually.

"Could I not be so loud?! Natsu what would you do if you woke up with me uninvited in your bed?" She suddenly blushed realizing the implications of she had asked him, but Natsu didn't seem to notice. He just shrugged and replied "Why would I be in my bed when this one is so comfy?"

_NANI?! HE DOESN'T EXPECT TO SLEEP HERE DOES HE?! _Lucy questioned inwardly.

He stretched his arms out whilst opening his mouth in a great yawn, reminding her of a lion.

One of her celestial keys began to glow and unexpectedly Loke appeared next to her, poised for battle, his Regulus ring at the ready. _Speaking of lions…_

"Lucy what's happened? You were screaming." He questioned her immediately, concern evident on his face.

"Nothing! Really it's nothing!" His master insisted, trying to get him to leave before he noticed the sleepy salamander in her bed.

"But then why –Oh. I see. The screaming wasn't… um… pain…" Loke awkwardly relaxed his arms from his fighting stance, looking towards Natsu in Lucy's bed, obviously having just woken up, Topless; Lucy herself in underwear as she usually slept in.

It dawned on her what he must have been thinking. "No! No! Loke, it's not like you thi–" She tried to explain.

"It's absolutely fine I completely understand, you are both at that age when things inside you are changing, your hormone levels rocket and you have needs," said the spirit "and anyway I thought something like this would happen sooner or later." He ended on a slightly hurt note.

"Huh?" Natsu asked, rather baffled.

"Honestly Loke we aren't –we're not –" Lucy tried to protest before being cut off again by Loke.

"You don't need to explain yourself to me Princess; I guess I never really had that great a chance to begin with." He smiled sadly at her. "Oh well, while I'm here I might go get a drink or something, see some old friends. By the way Natsu, congrats. Treat her well, or you'll have me to deal with." He sent a courteous, if slightly cold nod in the younger mage's direction and then turned for the door and exiting swiftly, leaving Lucy dying of mortification and Natsu _really_ confused.

The pink haired boy turned to his friend. "Care to explain–"

"No." She deadpanned. "Just throw your top on and I'll make us some breakfast."

**~*0o0*~**

Natsu was now seated at the mid-sized table in the kitchen-dinner, next to him sat Happy, the lovable blue Exceed, more commonly known as a magic cat. Happy had apparently been curled up last night on the clothes she had set out for the day and had fallen asleep for the night. Now here favourite outfit was covered in blue cat hair. _Brilliant. _

Both were now fully energized and waiting for Lucy to serve them breakfast, banging their cutlery on the table, chanting "Food! Food! Food! Food! Food!", whilst grinning childishly.

Lucy served up the Bacon and eggs-on-toast. "Hurry up guys! We are two hours late and they are going to be wondering where we are! If Erza breaks my door down –Again!– you will be the one paying for it!"

With a their war cry of "Itadakimasu", Happy and Natsu began to shovel the food into their mouths the moment it was set in front of them, and the plates were emptied in a minute flat. Unfortunately just because the plates were empty doesn't mean it all got to their mouths, and Lucy sighed as she went to retrieve a dustpan and brush.

"Ok Lucy! Let's go!" exclaimed Natsu, idiotic grin plastered to his face.

"Aye!" Happy concurred.

Together the three made their way to the Guild in great hast, knowing that if they didn't show up soon the Titania would come looking for them, and it was too early in the morning to face Erza's wrath.

**~*0o0*~**

**Ok I will be including some romantic pairings in this, but I need you (YES YOU!) to help me choose the final pairings. I will only pair Erza with Jellal. The poll will be on my profile.**

**Also I may change the point of view and rating as we progress, and most likely the title.**

**Sweet Jesus, it's so hot here. If I open the window bugs get in, and if I don't I sweat to death. I miss when it snowed in March. I even miss the rain.**


	2. The Rumour Mill

**Just to warn you this will almost be like an arc of my own creation, so it's based on the story and it's after the seven year time skip, so let's pretend this is an alternate time line after chapter 339.**

**I'm trying to make their reactions as manga/anime like as possible, but it is hard when it is written work, so you will really need your imaginations, okay? Thanks!**

**Chapter Warning: innuendos, language and slight sexual harassment **

**~*0o0*~**

**Chapter Two: The Rumour Mill **

Natsu and Lucy were only a few streets away from the guild and had now slowed their pace to normal speed, with Happy gliding overhead; their hurried footfalls resounding with sharp clacks on the brick street. Despite beginning to run out of breath, the blonde turned her head to ask Natsu what his reason was for sleeping in her bed, again.

"Huh? Oh! I found a great mission for us so I went to your place to show you but you were asleep, and I tried to wake you up but you grabbed my arm and rolled over. So if you think about it you kind of yanked me into bed." He ended with a closed eyed, cheeky grin that seemed to say "You can't blame me!".

"EH?!" Lucy exclaimed whilst turning red. _I'm so ashamed! All this time I've been telling him to get out of my bed, and last night I pulled him in! What if he tells the others and they get the wrong idea! Kami-sama, it's going to happen, I just know it!_

"I don't see why it's such a big deal; I sleep in your bed all the time. Anyway you're the one that always moves closer to me–" he stated nonchalantly.

"I can't help it! You're warm and it's instinctive!" Lucy defended. "Can we just stop talking about it please?! AND DON'T REPEAT THIS TO ANYONE!"

"We're at the guild anyway Lucy." Happy chirped as he dropped on her head, his new method of transport apparently.

The three friends approached the large wooden doors that served as the main entrance to the large building that they thought of as their real home, it wasn't just a place to grab a mission and go, it was so much more. It was where they laughed, celebrated, cried, and occasionally mourned. This was where they belonged. And judging by the clamour that seemed to be radiating from the dwelling, either Cana was having a drinking contest with Gildarts, or Erza had brought big news back from her S-class mission.

The three friends all looked at each other with excited smiles before rushing in, curious to see what the hullabaloo was about. The room went quiet and all eyes were on them. _Urm… what's going on?_ Lucy thought, uncomfortable with all the stares. The whole guild was in one massive group at the bar, all crowding round Lucy's self-proclaimed 'Prince', Loke. Lucy had a good idea of what was behind the situation.

"eh….." It seemed Lucy had frozen, presumably from mortification. She was white as a sheet. Meanwhile a certain Fire Dragon Slayer was in blissful ignorance –he was just a little confused.

Gildarts and Cana seemed to shoot each other devilish smirks, before sauntering over to the newcomers. Gildarts turned to Natsu with a proud grin and gave him a congratulating thump on the back. "Well done Natsu, didn't think you had it I you."

"Now you're a man Natsu!" Elfman followed up, calling out to him from the crowd. Lucy flushed a deep crimson and Natsu, despite not knowing what they were going on about, beamed appreciatively at their praise. Happy joined in; also unconscious of what was so meritable. "Aye!"

Juvia was over the moon, "Lucy-san! I am so glad Juvia no longer needs consider you a rival in love!" she cried out, there seemed to be some strange sparkly aura surrounding her as she clasped her hands together in joy. Gray himself seemed less please, most likely due to that outburst.

Cana went to the frozen celestial mage's side and put her arm around her neck. "Naruhodo... Lucy, here was me thinking you were a prude." she chuckled. Everyone began to swarm the pair.

"Now Cana, don't tease her." said Mira in a mock scold, turning to Lucy she giggled softly. "I think it's great you two are together." She smiled gently, excited for the 'couple'. It was then Natsu caught on.

He let lose an almighty guffaw, dropped to the ground and rolling around, before banging the side of his fist against the parquet floor, his eyes threating to release tears as he convulsed and grabbed his sides in painful mirth. The pink haired boy tried to get a coherent sentence out, but failed. Now it was everyone else's turn to be muddled, the large gathering of nakama just stared at him, completely bewildered. Finally he seemed to calm down as he sat up and let out a sigh of content. "We aren't together!" He exclaimed, clearly amused.

This just served to confuse most of his guild mates more. "Wait…" Said a rather dazed Mira, handing the two some drinks of water.

"You aren't a couple?" asked Macao.

"NO!" Answered Lucy, still contemplating calling Virgo to dig a hole for her to hide in.

"So you are in a relationship void of commitment but not in… other things…?"Juvia asked as she approached, unsure of what the girl had got herself into… or what got _into_ her. "So Lucy-san is still Juvia's rival in love!" She exclaimed with an angered expression.

"Huh?" was the reply she received from many of the guild.

Laxus stepped in and explained. "What he means is 'Are you fuck buddies?', right, Juvia?" The Water mage seemed slightly bashful as she looked away and simply nodded. At this point both Lucy and Natsu spit out their water in surprise, beginning to splutter it out as if choking. Even Natsu seemed get flustered at the suggestion and quickly stated that he simply liked her bed. This of course did not help the situation.

"Real men don't sneak into a woman's bed at night." Yelled Elfman, outraged that Natsu could act so shamefully.

"Shut up!" Natsu shouted back. "It's not my fault she grabbed me and pulled me into bed with her!"

"Aye! She did." Happy concurred.

"KYA!" Lucy screamed, all eyes were now on to her again, jaws dropped and eyes wide.

Gray and Loke turned to each other and shared a look of disbelief.

Erza just blinked in surprise at Lucy. "I had no idea you were so forceful."

Bixlow approached Lucy laughing, and threw his arm round her waist on the side Cana was not on. "Well we already know she's a cosplay loving, whip wielding woman with a nice tits. So I'm not that surprised ." He laughed whilst sliding his hand down from waist to cup one of the cheeks of her bottom. Lucy gasped.

Loke ran at an inhuman speed to his master and delivered a punch so strong Bixlow was flew back and landed outside of the Guild. The look on the Celestial Spirit's face was rage embodied. Loke stalked over to the Seith mage growling at him. "Don't touch her you bastard!"

Erza, Gray and Natsu all followed suit. Deeply angered anyone that he harassed their precious friend. Sure Bixlow was nakama too, but he wasn't acting it and he needed to be taught some manners.

They in turn were followed by Cana, Elfman, Juvia, Jet, Droy, Bisca, Alzack, Reedus and a few others.

Currently they were just glaring at Bixlow in the street, it was evident many of them wanted to do a lot more than just have a staring contest. The rest of the Thunder Tribe just stayed at their table, sending Bixlow disapproving looks –He may be their partner, but they agreed he was in the wrong.

Bixlow just laughed and stuck his tongue out at the offended party, from his seat on the ground. That was enough to anger them into approaching him, ready to beat the living crap out of him –they were all incredibly infuriated.

"Come on then!" challenged Bixlow. "Show me what you're made of, you straight laced arses!" he smirked.

Erza traded a hard glance with Loke, then with Natsu and Gray, it read: _I want the first hit._ They all wanted it, but they weren't going to deny their Titania. They each nodded in turn, and she unsheathed her sword.

_This is really taking it too far, I need to stop them. _Thought Lucy, as she watched her dear friend's sword flash with the morning sun.

A crowd of bystanders had begun to gather, curious of why Fairy Tail were quarrelling with one of their own. _If this turns into an all-out battle, at least Bixlow is going to get hurt, not to mention my friends and bystanders and… oh no. The property damage._

She launched herself out of the door and past her comrades, only to place herself in front of Bixlow, her arms and legs stretched, blocking Erza's path.

She could hear Bixlow's amused chuckle behind her. "What's this? The damsel in distress is protecting me? That's ironic." He struck a nerve, she always felt useless, the weakling of the guild, but she ignored it.

The Celestial Spirit mage addressed her friends. "This is unnecessary guys, this whole situation is out of hand. I'm sure Bixlow just took the joke too far; we've all done that before, There's no need to be so overdramatic. And whilst I have your attention: I pulled Natsu on the bed _in my sleep_ because he left the window open, making the room cold. Natsu was warm, it was just a natural reaction, I had no idea I was doing it. And before you ask, yes he came to my house in the middle of the night, though my window, but the hyperactive idiot,-" she directed this bit at him with an slightly pissed off expression to which he grinned a bit nervously and scratched his head "-did it to tell me about the mission he picked out. I had tried to tell you that Loke but you just wouldn't listen and instead went running to tell the guild–"

"I didn't run to tell them! They wouldn't stop questioning me!" interrupted Loke.

"He looked down, so everyone wanted to know what happened–" added Gray.

"I DON'T CARE!" Lucy cut him off. "Bixlow was crude and an insensitive, but you are all completely overreacting. Please let's just go back inside, we are making a see." She added calmer.

Most of the guild turned around and headed back inside, except for her team mates, which included Loke. They waited until Bixlow had got up from the ground and passed Lucy, casually throwing a hand up to wave behind to the blonde. "Thanks cosplay girl." and sauntered off back to the Thunder Tribe.

Lucy exchanged glances with her teammates and walked back into the guild, with her comrades close behind. When they were all seated at their usual table, the young blonde asked Natsu what this perfect mission was; she needed to take her mind off the morning's events –not to mention rent.

"I think I'm going to go now. Goodbye everyone." Said Loke before fading with a golden shimmer.

Natsu perked up instantly. He reached into his well concealed trouser pocket, got out a crumpled request and began to read it. "It says: 'Urgent assistance required. Unknown creature is wreaking havoc in Hargeon Town. We are a small fishing town, and so have no local guild to rely on, but our fishing nets are being destroyed, they are slashed to shreds, and ships have been sunk by something pulling them under.' "

"Isn't Hargeon town where we met?" Lucy asked the Dragon Slayer.

"Yep!" He beamed.

"Didn't you destroy most of it in the fight with Bora?" She questioned him.

"I don't think they will want you back anytime soon, ash-brain." Remarked Gray.

"It's been over 8 years though, they'll be cool I'm sure." He shrugged it off.

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it." Stated Erza. "What is the reward?"

"572,000 Jewels and a free weekend in Balsam Village!" Natsu replied excitedly.

"That's the only reason you picked it isn't it?" Erza asked, disapproving his rash judgement.

"Did you see the buffet they have there?!" He retorted.

"It does look really good Erza." Happy tried to convince her, using his cuteness as a weapon, he knew now she had a weakness for cute things. Her eyes sparkled for a brief moment and then she jerked her head away quickly to resist his charm. "F-fine."

"I must admit it sounds great, a good amount of money and a weekend break. But we know nothing about the creature, it sounds risky." Lucky argued.

"Please Lucy?" Natsu and Happy actually whined, attempting the kawaii tactic again. She sighed.

"Fine, fine. When do we leave?" she relented.

"Tomorrow morning at ten?" Suggested Gray.

"Sounds good to me!" said Natsu.

"Aye! Me too!" exclaimed Happy.

"I shall go pack now." Announced Erza whilst rising from her seat, knowing how long it would take for her. The armoured woman strode toward the entrance, but stopped at the bar to tell Mirajane they had taken the mission so she could record it. Erza then wished both Mira and Master Makarov good night. "Wait a minute please Erza." Requested the short man pleasantly. "Could you please send Lucy into my office?"

"Of course Master." She replied before turning back to her three team mates who were now sharing a joke between themselves.

"Lucy," The blonde looked up to meet her eyes. "Master wants to see you in his office."

"Oh okay, thank you." Lucy chirped. "I'll be back soon guys." She addressed Gray and Natsu. "Bye Erza!" she hollered, on her way to the door on the left to the bar, her small heels tapping on the floor.

**~*0o0*~**

He watched her walk with confidence across the room, he watched her walk right past him. She didn't take a long route around him or quicken her pace when passing, the blonde mage just moved naturally. She wasn't in the least scared of him. So why wasn't she scared of him? He had tortured her, and she and most of the others thought of him as one of their own! It wasn't that he was upset by this, he wanted to be accepted, he liked it here. Gajeel just didn't understand.

**~*0o0*~**

**I know nothing interesting has happened yet, but it takes time to get the ball rolling.**

**REMEMBER! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! THE POLL IS ON MY PROFILE!**

**And please review, constructive criticism is welcome with open arms! **


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